His father replied: "Admire, but fear not, and know me to be at all parts
substantially thy father, who in the inner powers of his mind, and the
unseen workings of a father's love to thee, answers to his outward shape
and pretence! There shall no more Ulysseses come here. I am he that after
twenty years' absence, and suffering a world of ill, have recovered at
last the sight of my country earth. It was the will of Minerva that I
should be changed as you saw me. She put me thus together; she puts
together or takes to pieces whom she pleases. It is in the law of her free
power to do it: sometimes to show her favourites under a cloud, and poor,
and again to restore to them their ornaments. The gods raise and throw
down men with ease."

Then Telemachus could hold out no longer, but he gave way now to a full
belief and persuasion, of that which for joy at first he could not credit,
that it was indeed his true and very father that stood before him; and
they embraced, and mingled their tears.

Then said Ulysses, "Tell me who these suitors are, what are their numbers,
and how stands the queen thy mother affected to them?"

"She bears them still in expectation," said Telemachus, "which she never
means to fulfil, that she will accept the hand of some one of them in
second nuptials. For she fears to displease them by an absolute refusal.
So from day to day she lingers them on with hope, which they are content
to bear the deferring of, while they have entertainment at free cost in
our palace."

Then said Ulysses, "Reckon up their numbers that we may know their
strength and ours, if we having none but ourselves may hope to prevail
against them."